sound at the record store

"IS IT ME?"

Yes, it's you.

The record store owners I know have nice systems at home and just so so system at the store. I myself would do the same, why would I put in a good system that cannot be setup correctly. The space is for sale items not for people to come in sit and listen to a system all day then go home with maybe a couple of albums or CD's. That would be a waist of retail space. When I do listen in a record store it is to have some kind of idea the surface noise level and if it skips. Most record stores you cannot even clean the record correctly. It is nice that he even has a way to get quick listen to vinyl.

I won't even listen to a record in the shop for fear that the crappy cartridges and TTs will damage the vinyl. At one shop, the tonearm on the their TT did not have an offset angle, straight arm with a straight head shell. I felt like explaining the importance of the offset angle, but I figured they really wouldn't care anyways.

To ensure the record is okay, I remove it from the sleeve and visually inspect it. If there are any signs of possible blemishes it goes back in the bin. Also I make sure, I can exchange the record if there is any problems.

When it comes to rare recordings, I am amazed at the prices they charge for records that are in a questionable state at best or are essentially un playable. I guess there is a sucker born every minute!

I agree with the above couple of posts. I have lived half my life in record stores. Actually, I probably couldn't even count how many records stores that I have visited.

None of them have ever had a decent system. I too, would never play a record on the tables they provide.